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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22975414">Firestorm of Arcane Melody</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bloodyshadow1/pseuds/Bloodyshadow1'>Bloodyshadow1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dimension 20 (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/F/F, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, happy and healthy poly relationships</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:34:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,449</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22975414</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bloodyshadow1/pseuds/Bloodyshadow1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Figeuroth Faeth had the most perfect life she could have asked for.  She had money, fame, a happy family, great friends, a beautiful girlfriend who loved her.  She couldn't ask for more, but her heart wants what it wants and her heart wants Ayda, but it also wants another.  People have types and Fig's type were beautiful divination wizards who were incredible and incredibly awkward.  She doesn't want to hurt Ayda, but she can't help but feel torn in two every time she saw Adaine, what is a girl to do.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adaine Abernant/Ayda Aguefort/Figueroth Faeth, Adaine Abernant/Figueroth Faeth, Ayda Aguefort/Figueroth Faeth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> Fig strummed her bass in her little bubble below the piano that she made her room in the manor and just trying to ignore the world.  She was confused, it wasn’t the first time, she’s often confused, but goes along with things to pretend like she knew what was going on, it was chaotic and things tended to work out for the best.  But this was bad confusion and she didn’t like feeling this way.  
 </p><p>   Fig knew she shouldn’t be feeling conflicted and miserable like this. She shouldn’t be feeling this way, she was a rich, famous rock star with a kickass band that could sell out stadiums if she went on tour tomorrow. She was a powerful bard and warlock, with her friends, they slayed Kalvaxus, Lord of the Red Wastes, and put the Nightmare King to bed.  She had a beautiful girlfriend who was sweet, smart, powerful, great in bed, and could fly with fiery wings.  She had friends who she loved and loved her to the point where they were family.  She had two and a half dads between Gorthalax, Gilear, and Jawbone, maybe he’d get official dad status one day, her relationship with her mom had healed despite the tension. 
</p><p>Fig’s life should be perfect even if she was stuck in Elmville for the year, she had promised her mother that she would attend senior year and graduate.  Elmville wasn’t that bad even if it wasn’t that exciting, but it had indoor plumbing, cars, and fast food, in addition to her family, so yeah…, it wasn’t that bad.  Yet her life wasn’t perfect, because despite all of that she was greedy, she had a perfect life but wanted more, she already had more than almost everyone and it wasn’t enough for her.  
</p><p>The problem was despite how amazing Ayda is, when she wasn’t with her, Fig’s eyes drifted to another.  There were always people who said things like, ‘the heart wants what it wants,’ but she didn’t know why her heart was doing this to her.  “Why did I have to fall for Adaine of all people,” Fig moaned as she banged her head against the bubble of her room.  “I mean yeah, she’s beautiful, and smart, and funny, and powerful,” she said between each bang, “but she’s not that great.  I mean she is that great, but even she’s not enough to hurt Ayda,” she told herself.  
</p><p>Even if Adaine wasn’t also Ayda’s best friend and would hate her if she hurt Ayda, Fig still loved Ayda.  Though it did suck that the girl you’ve had a crush on was perhaps the only one in all the realms who loved her girlfriend more than you do. The very thought of hurting her beloved half-Phoenix girlfriend made Fig feel sick, not the best thing to feel in the bubble.  
</p><p>“It was just a crush,” she told herself, “it’s just a weird crush on your hot best friend, that you might be nursing since freshman year.  But it’s still just a crush, you don’t love Adaine,” Fig told herself and she could tell it was wrong.  Fig was a good, maybe even great liar but that was a horrible lie, there wasn’t a way with magic divine and arcane that could make Fig not love Adaine.  She loved all her friends, but she loved Adaine like she loved Ayda and she didn’t know what to do.
</p><p>“Hey Fig,” a sweet Elven voice rang out and knocked on the floor that separated her sanctuary from the world.  “I don’t mean to disturb you when you’re in your muse mode but we’re starting game night and I thought you might want to join us.  Sandralynn already made the rule that Ayda and I can’t be on the same team for trivia night so you should be happy we wouldn’t have to fight over your girlfriend this time,” she said with an awkward attempt at a joke.
</p><p>“Fig,” Adaine asked. The worry in her voice felt like a knife into Fig’s heart.  The fact that she was making Adaine worry made her feel guilty.
</p><p>“I’m fine Adaine,” Fig yelled through her the floor, her natural impulse to make Adaine not upset overrode her desire to be alone with her thoughts and bury her problems.  “Sorry, I’ve just been working on this song all day and I thought I was on the edge of a breakthrough,” it sucked to lie to Adaine, but it was better than ruining two of her most important relationships with the truth.
</p><p>“Oh I’m sorry,” Adaine squeaked adorably and Fig had to stifle a groan, she was so freakin cute.  “I didn’t mean to interrupt your process.  I just wanted you to know about Game Night, but you don’t have to of course.  I’ll just leave this tea here, I thought you would like some,” she rambled.  “I’ll just leave you alone,” she sounded panicked and instinct took over for the young tiefling.
</p><p>“You don’t have to go,” Fig said trying to flip her room up so she could talk to Adaine face to face, but it was jammed.  She forgot that another reason she was in her bubble was because the mechanism had jammed trapping her in there.  It wasn’t much of a problem when she wanted to sulk, but when it came to talking to her hot elf friend…, well it was a problem.  “I’m actually stuck could you,” she didn’t even bother to finish but she gestured despite knowing Adaine would be able to see.  
</p><p>“Of course,” Adaine said walking over to the piano and Fig could hear her slender elven fingers dance on the keys until it played to passcode flipping her up into the rest of her room. 
</p><p>It was a mistake to ask Adaine to flip her, she might have needed to be rescued but it was a mistake because the flipping of her bed and the piano left her in a bit of a daze enough to make the first time she saw Adaine today really knock her socks off. She wasn just Adaine, she wasn’t dressed in anything special, but then Adaine was never just Adaine, not to Fig.  She was wearing her trademark denim jacket that when she first saw the elf wizard in made Fig fall for her.  It was worth burning a spell slot on Madame Silvaine to get Adaine what she wanted, the way she glowed with happiness when she got her denim jacket, a t-shirt, and jeans.  Adaine deserved the best clothes possible, but Fig would burn her every slot she had for a year if it made Adaine smile no matter how simple her requests were.  It didn’t help that Adaine went from a cutie in a school girls uniform to a beauty finally looking comfortable.
</p><p>The flipping floor let out a slight breeze that blows a bit of Adaine’s hair out of her face and Fig almost fainted.  “Thanks, I got stuck down there earlier, and I thought I’d make some lemonade,” she said blowing some of her own hair out of her face to seem aloof, “you know like a rockstar.” She didn’t know why she was fronting so much and so hard in front of Adaine, but she couldn’t help herself.
</p><p>Adaine just giggled, “well you are a rockstar so that makes sense.”
</p><p>“Right so game night you were saying,” Fig said trying to keep herself from saying or looking stupid.  
</p><p>“Well yeah, it’s game night, I thought I’d come get you.  Sandralynn made it a rule that Ayda and I can’t be a team during trivia so we won’t have to fight over your girlfriend this time,” Adaine explained.
</p><p>“Well then who are you going to partner up with then,” Fig asked feeling a bit bad.  She wanted to team up with Ayda, not just during game night, but she knew that Ayda and Adaine liked to work together because they were good at it.  They were also really cute together, ‘they would probably make a good couple,’ Fig started to think but decided not to go down that dark path right now. 
</p><p>“Oh don’t worry about me,” Adaine waved her off despite that being far too late for Fig, “I might team up with Zayn this week.  What,” she asked and Fig wished she was able to hide things from her, or that she was better at hiding her disgust.
</p><p>“Nothing,” Fig said rolling a one on her lie.  Zayn wasn’t nearly the worst person Fig had met, not even the worst person she went to school with, but Fig didn’t really like him.  He was a dick in life and he was more pleasant now that he was dead, but that didn’t really help Fig’s opinion of him.  It might also be that she was jealous of how close he could be with Adaine, he was a asshole’s ghost who had never fought by her side or healed her, yet Adaine did so much for him.    
</p><p>“Look Fig,” Adaine said defensively, but not accusingly, “I know you don’t like Zayn, but he is my friend.  You don’t have to like him, but could you please just try to be pleasant around him, I don’t like it when my friends fight.  please, for me,” Fig wasn’t sure if Adaine knew she had a crush on her, if she did it would be far too easy to bend Fig to her will if she did.  But then Adaine wouldn’t do that.
</p><p>“Fine,” Fig said rolling her eyes if only to tear herself away from Adaine, “you’re just lucky I get to have my hot girlfriend to keep me distracted from your ghost boyfriend.”
</p><p>“Zayn is not my boyfriend,” Adaine squeaked more than yelled, “he’s just a friend, just like the rest of you are,” she brushed her hair out of her face to have something to do with her hands to hide her embarrassment.  In one sentence Adaine both raised her up and crushed her.  She loved being Adaine's friend, she was her best friend after all, but part of her wanted more, even if she didn't want to admit it.
</p><p>“I’m just saying I’ll play nice if he does,” Fig said knowing Zayn probably wouldn’t say a word to her all night unless he had to.  He spent most of his time just talking to Adaine if he said anything at all.  Still, it’s probably made clear that Fig would do anything for Adaine, and Ayda, but it's doing that for her not girlfriend is the problem. 
</p><p>“That’s all I ask,” Adaine said with a smile and Fig felt warm inside, she felt guilty that it wasn’t Ayda making her feel this way.  It wasn’t like she couldn’t look at other girls, even if she married Ayda it would be okay to look at other girls if she didn’t act on her feelings.  But then Adaine took her hand and dragged her downstairs with her to Fig’s old room/the living room and Fig wasn’t sure if she could only look.
</p><p>“Hello Fig,” Adya said sweetly, and Fig sat down beside her and gave her a quick kiss, “how was your song writing progress today?  Is that an appropriate question to ask your artist girlfriend,” she asked Fig before turning to Adaine for more clarification.  “Many wizards who aren’t you,” she said specifically to Adiane, “are secretive find it rude to be asked about what they’re studying in regards to magic and I am not sure if that is in regards to wizards or everyone.”
</p><p>“Yes Babe,” Fig said turning Ayda’s face towards her so she could stare into her girlfriend’s gorgeous glowing eyes, “you can always ask me about how my day went, you can ask me anything,” she promised. “So I guess we’re on a team together?”
</p><p>“Yes we are,” Ayda confirmed a bit louder than a normal person would, “since part of tonight is trivia night, Sandralynn has ruled that Adaine and I cannot be on the same team.  I would not want to anger your mother so I agreed.  Not that it takes a lot for me to agree to team up with you Fig,” Ayda said to make sure she didn’t offend Fig.  
</p><p>“You don’t have to butter me up baby,” Fig said giving Ayda a kiss, “I’m already yours.  Now,” she said confidently looking at her friends and family, “lets go kick everybody’s but at game night.”  

</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>A few hours later, they proved that they weren’t destined to be the Mordred Manor Game Night Champions for this week at least.  They got third, behind Kristen and Tracker in second and Adaine and Zayn in first.  Fig did her best to keep her word to Adaine and be a good sport, she congratulated both of teams on their victory. 
</p><p>After the games were done and Fig sat down on one of the couches and just observed her friends and family. Kristen and Tracker looked happy together, their bond had helped them get second place, but only Ayda could match Adaine’s brains.  A couple months ago, Fig wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but she was jealous of what Kristen and Tracker had together, not just the sex or the kisses, but the real connection, having someone be there for you and loving you despite all your faults.  
</p><p>Then looked at her mother Sandralynn bringing Jawbone a drink before sitting down next to him.  She had cheated on him during their spring break adventure and they were back together. Jawbone wasn’t even the first lover Sandralynn had cheated on either.  She didn’t know much about her relationship with Gilear before she was born, but they had always seemed happy, at least until Fig’s horns started growing in.  It made Fig wonder if she was going to be like her mother, if it was inevitable that she was going to break Ayda’s heart.  She didn’t want to, she would rather go back to hell as a lost soul than hurt Ayda at all, she loved her half-phoenix girlfriend more than anything.  One glance at Adiane though and she wasn’t sure if that wasn’t only half true.  
</p><p>Cheating wasn’t supposed to be something you could be predisposed to, Fig had done enough research on the subject using actual books and the web, but it seemed like she was her mother’s daughter.  With a sigh, she waited until Ayda walked over to talk to Adaine and made her way up to her room without anyone seeing so she could think in peace.
</p><p>Part of her wanted to talk to Jawbone about her feelings, he was the school’s guidance counselor so he would be a good person to talk about this whole mess.  But, he was also her mom’s boyfriend, Tracker’s uncle, and Adiane’s legal guardian, Fig didn’t think he would say anything intentionally, but it didn’t mean something couldn’t slip.  Besides, she couldn’t imagine how she started the conversation, ‘hey Jawbone, you know Adaine, the gorgeous elf maiden that you adopted? I want to cheat on my perfect girlfriend with her.  Can you try and help me figure things out inbetween fucking my mom and getting some kids scholarships to college?’  He really was a good guidance counselor despite everything, Fig had to admit.
</p><p>“Fig,” there was a knock at her door, Fig would know Ayda’s voice anywhere, “you disappeared from game night, though I suppose it’s no longer game night since we’re done playing games,” she said drifting a bit.  “But I just wanted to see if you were alright.  I respect your need for space but you’ve been alone all day so I wanted to see if you wanted company.”
</p><p>“Y-you can come in Ayda,” Fig said quickly, Ayda would walk away to give her privacy if she didn’t jump on it.  “I need to talk to you,” she said without realizing it, she did need to speak with Ayda, but she wanted to grapple with her feelings more before she did.  But hey, no time like the present.
</p><p>“What do you need to talk about Fig,” Ayda said looking curious, “you know I enjoy speaking with you about anything.”
</p><p>It wasn’t cheating to look or dream, Fig told herself, but she still needed to talk to Ayda.  She might be Sandralynn’s daughter, but she wouldn’t cheat.  Like her friends said, it was important to be better than your parents. Figeuroth Faeth remembered the shouting matches Gilear and Sandralynn had while she cried in her room because bones were growing through her skull and that shit hurt.  She remembered the man Gilear was, still soft and non confrontational, but he was full of life instead of the shadow of a man he was just moving past.  She remembered Tracker and Kristen fighting when her mother cheated on Jawbone with Garthy and Kristen didn’t tell her girlfriend.  It had been rough, the worst she had felt in her life because it was when Adaine had been taken and it felt like part of her soul had been ripped from her. 
</p><p>The stupidest thing was that it could have been avoided if her mother just talked to Jawbone and realized they didn’t need to pretend to be the perfect ‘normal’ family.  All she needed to do was realize that an open relationship with her boyfriend who was already willing to be open.  Maybe it’s crazy to expect anyone to know when they’re going to sleep with a stranger, but maybe it would have been worth it to have an open poly relationship with her boyfriend when her previous acts of adultery ruined her marriage.
</p><p>Well Fig might be her mother's daughter, she might love her mother a lot, but she wouldn’t hurt the people she cared about like her.  “This is important, I need you to know that I love you and hurting you is the last thing I want.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so the girlfriends talk, this is mostly from Ayda's pov, I hope I got her voice right, please read and review</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>  Ayda Aguefort was a smart person, though she knows she knows many things it still pales in comparison to the enormous number of things she doesn’t know.  She is not, however, the best at reading social cues, though her intense study of them has given her keen insight sometimes.  She knows that Fig, her beloved paramour, girlfriend, and best friend through the transitive process of them both being best friends with Adaine, is stressed, and has been for quite some time.  
  </p><p>  Ayda also knows that she is not always the most helpful with dealing with stressors, she can be blunt, loud, and hard to understand sometimes.  She is aware and trying to get better at dealing with people now that she is in the situation <strike>where she has to</strike>…, where she gets to meet with more people than she used to back when the Compass Point Library was still in Leviathan, but she is still a novice at best.  Still, Fig is very important to her, potentially the most important person to her in a struggle with Adaine, her best friend, and Ayda wants to be there for Fig when she needs someone to talk to.  
  </p><p>  “This is important, I need you to know that I love you and hurting you is the last thing I want,” Fig told her when they sat on her bed, currently above the piano bubble.  
   </p><p> Ayda didn’t know why Fig felt that she needed to tell her that, while the things that Ayda didn’t know dwarfed the things she did, Ayda knew that Fig loved her and would never want to hurt her.  In a world of uncertainty and lies, more than anything Ayda knew that was a truth that nothing in the world could bend or break with magic or anything else.  
    </p><p>Ayda decided to not tell her that and instead just said, “I know that Fig, and I love you too.”  Ayda mentally high-fived herself for not oversharing or rambling, a trick that Adaine and Jawbone taught her.  Her words seemed to relax Fig, if only slightly so Ayda gave herself another one as reward for that.  Part of her wanted to give herself another one, but decided against it, getting greedy would not be helpful and in fact lower the worth of the high-fives she has already given and received or any she will give or receive.  
    </p><p>“I’m just going to come out and say it,” Fig said taking in a deep breath.  That was probably for the best, Ayda knew her girlfriend well, she tended to avoid difficult or awkward topics like when she skateboarded away after kissing her for the first time, so facing things head on was the most efficient solution.  Ayda moved to mentally high-five Fig, but stopped when she remembered that was a trick that only worked on herself without using evocation magic.  “I have a crush on someone else, like a big crush, I’m not going to act on it or anything, especially if you don’t want me to, but I feel like you deserve-, need to know,” Fig said trying to gauge a reaction on Ayda’s face.
   </p><p> “I see,” Ayda said trying to maintain a façade of normalcy and understanding while she was a in a typhoon of emotions inside.  She knew Fig better than she knew herself, which wasn’t saying much because her hated past self ruined her life and much of her past was a mystery lost to time, but she still knew Fig very well.  Part of her wanted to run and hide, ashamed that she wasn’t enough for Fig, angry that someone else had caught her beloved’s eye.  But looking at Fig calms her down, Fig didn’t cheat on her, Fig wouldn’t cheat on her for anything in the world, but knowing Fig didn’t stray grounds her to the enough to keep her in the world.
   </p><p> “I need you to know that I didn’t plan this,” Fig told her, her voice full of sorrow, as if she thought Ayda would hate her.  “It just happened and I’m so happy with you, I love everything we do together.” She sounded so sure that Ayda wanted to believe her -, no Ayda did believe her, Fig wouldn’t lie to her unless it was to surprise her or protect someone in the most dire circumstances.  “I just…,” Fig said but couldn’t get the words out.  
  </p><p>  She looked so confused and distraught that Ayda couldn’t help but wrap her arms around her, “I-it’s okay Fig,” Ayda said even though she was still confused.  “Would you be okay with telling me who you're crushing on?” Ayda was trying to play the understanding girlfriend, but her natural curiosity as a wizard and Ayda made her desire the knowledge that Fig had.  She was also unsure if she was supposed to find this person and duel them or perhaps confront them, she knew that Fig was bisexual unlike herself so the net would be spread out more.  She had mentioned older men before, but she didn’t seem interested in any man she’s met since Ayda met her, though Ayda was unfamiliar with being attracted to men looks like.
  </p><p>  “I-It’s Adaine,” Fig whispered softly, but to Ayda it might as well have been as loud as a canon going off.  
  </p><p>  Adaine, Fig lov-, had a crush on Adaine Abernant, her best friend, her being both Fig and Ayda herself.  Well…, of course she did, it made so much sense.  Adaine was very loveable and easy to love, Adya of course only loved Adaine in a purely friend way of course. Ayda didn’t have many friends, or at least she didn’t, and she of course would never put such an important relationship as bestfriends in jeopardy by thinking of Adaine in other, inappropriate ways.  And of course looking or thinking of Adaine in such a way would put her relationship with Fig in danger which could be even worse, at least that was what Ayda thought.  
    </p><p>Adaine was wonderful, and beautiful, and smart, and so warm, Ayda thought the elf was warmer than her flames but not as harsh sometimes. Like when she hugs people, Adaine was really good at hugs despite her parents being assholes who never hugged her.  She smelled like green plants and old books, which were some of Ayda’s favorite smells even if that description now included brimstone and leather, it could be an intoxicating combination.  And Adaine was smart, so very smart, Ayda was not speaking hyperbolic when she declared Adaine likely the greatest wizard of the age when she was shown the perfect frog Adaine created as her familiar, her respect and awe for the Elven Oracle had only grown since then.  Who wouldn't fall in love with such an amazing creature?
    </p><p>Ayda wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do about this, she didn’t know what Fig wanted her to do, which was also important even if her girlfriend constantly told Ayda to do things because she wanted to, not because other people wanted her too.  Several books that she had read on Leviathan suggested that she challenge whoever captured her beloved’s eye to a duel to settle the matter, ‘one way or another,’ the book had said.  That was a complicated issue for many reasons, a magical duel would be her preferred form of combat, but the book had said pistols.  As it stood, her current body was too young to purchase a firearm without her parent’s permission, which she would not do.  Her father was at best a difficult person to talk to and her mother was frustrated that she allowed Fig to house her instead of building a house for her girlfriend to show how capable she was.  Oh how her mother wept about her daughter not showing her future wife that she would be taken care of with the building of a nest, if she found out that Ayda had a rival for her lover’s affection, well, that would open a whole new can of worms.  Far too many for either part celestial to devour.
</p><p>That meant going to Riz and his mother Sklonda Gutgak as they were the only people she knew who owned firearms unless she wanted to go back to Leviathan to find some.  Which of course would likely breach the amnesty she received when she became a Solician citizen, despite not being a pirate she had collaborated with many pirates.  Ayda was 67% sure that neither Riz or Sklonda would allow her access to two pistols without telling them why, and 96% sure that they would not allow her to borrow their weapons if she told them the reason.  She didn’t blame them, duels seem to be rather alien to the Solician sensibility, where dueling was illegal.  And if she was being honest, if someone asked her for a weapon that could potentially hurt, much less kill Adaine Abernant…, well Ayda was sure she would turn them to a pile of ash to keep her best friend safe.
</p><p>Adaine herself was of course the most complicated of issues, running through possible scenarios where all of the other issues were resolved, she was gumming up the works as the saying went.  The pistols, even if Ayda were to acquire them, would be useless, she couldn’t imagine pointing a gun at Adaine much less pulling the trigger.  If it came down to it, Ayda could perhaps challenge Adaine to a magical duel of sorts, for practice, they had done such things in the past to demonstrate what they had recently learned to each other and for fun, so it was possible.  She could use entertain that notion, perhaps though it was difficult as Ayda was stretching the limits of her imagination, that in such a duel, she could draw blood from Adaine.  The idea of Adaine having a scratch on her because of Ayda was enough to make the librarian phoenix feel ill.  It would have to be an accident or a lucky shot where such an event was feasible, but it was possible.  But intentionally harming Adaine, even if the prize was to win Fig’s heart for her and only her.  Ayda had to face the facts that nothing save perhaps possession or the most powerful of enchantment magic could make her intentionally do more than bruise Adaine lovely silky soft elf maiden flesh.  
</p><p>That meant even if she could find the necessary weapons and managed to challenge Adaine, she couldn’t go through with it since she couldn’t hurt Adaine.  Couldn’t was an interesting part of the duel problem that surprised Ayda.  She knew that even for Fig, to love her and her alone, she wouldn’t hurt Adaine or any of her new friends.  But when it came to Adaine, Ayda knew she couldn’t hurt her friend the Elven Oracle, something that Ayda had only known Fig fell into that category.  It was peculiar, and the whole thing was only a dead end.  In Ayda’s experience that she gained through books, there was little else she could do in this situation.  
</p><p>To make matters worse, Ayda wasn’t sure what to do, she would normally go to Adaine, her best friend, to get knowledge on how to proceed in matters that her research did not prepare her for.  Adaine while not a social butterfly like say Garty, her other best friend, she was far more socially adept than Ayda herself.  Since Ayda courtship of Fig began they have engaged in girltalk multiple times, each time she had been extremely helpful in understanding the social norms and expectations created in Solace as opposed to Leviathan.  
</p><p>“I see,” Ayda managed to get out, it wasn’t exactly a lie, she could see many reasons why Fig would love Adaine even if she didn’t quite understand what she was feeling and processing.
</p><p>“Alright,” Fig said slowly, “you’re obviously not okay with this since you retreated into your head there for like five minutes.”  That was surprising to Ayda, it felt more like 10 with all the scenarios she went through.  
</p><p>“Being okay with this is difficult to be,” Ayda did her best to explain outside of her headspace. It was less constricting outside, but harder to make a point, even more difficult to make someone understand her point.  “I can understand why you would fall in love with Adaine, there are a lot of reasons to, and you would make a beautiful couple,” Ayda had to admit that as the most beautiful creatures in all of creation they would be a lovely couple. 
</p><p>“I don’t love Adaine,” Fig insisted, but it sounded wrong to both of them the second the words left her mouth, “at least I don’t think I love her like I love you.”  That sounded better but still rang hollow, Ayda appreciated it all the same.  “I have a crush on her that’s all,” still hollow, but both of them let it slide for their own sake.  
</p><p>“Okay,” Ayda said letting it fall unspoken, “what do you want to do about your crush on Adaine, do you…, do you want to break up?”  It hurt to say, and Ayda could feel tears of fire coming down her face.
</p><p>“No,” Fig all but shouted as she reached up and cupped Ayda’s face, “I don’t want to break up, I would never want to break up with you Ayda, I’ll never put anyone before you I promise,” Fig sealed her oath with a kiss.  “Adaine is great, but I won’t ever break up with you for someone else.  I just felt like you should know, so I don’t spring it on you at the worst possible time.  I love Sandralynn, but she could have ruined a lot of people’s lives because she let herself stray and never bothered to talk to her boyfriends, she ruined her relationship with Gilear, and if she wasn’t dating the most understanding werewolf in all the realms everything would have fallen apart.”
</p><p>“Okay,” Ayda said as she gently stroked Fig’s face to comfort her brushing away the tears that Fig didn’t notice started falling, “I don’t think I need to say this, but I don’t want to break up with you either,” she said.  “You are one of the greatest things in this current lifetime and I don’t wish to let you go if I can help it.”
</p><p>Fig just looked at her beautiful girlfriend’s face and let out a laugh of exhaustion.  “Thank you Ayda, thank you for putting up with me.  I know I hold back a lot and close myself off from what I’m feeling, I make myself hard to read but I appreciate you being patient with me.”
</p><p>Ayda didn’t bother to correct Fig, she was rarely a closed book, except in all the best ways, she just was happy to hold Fig and that Fig was willing to share her secrets with her.  Still, that did leave the question unanswered, what were they going to do?
</p><p>“Do you want to date Adaine,” Ayda asked softly while she embraced Fig, it was the logical question and would be a good way to resolve this.  
</p><p>“W-what no I don’t want to date Adaine, I want to date you,” Fig said trying to disguise the lie with a truth. “I mean she’s hot, so I look at her from time to time, but there’s just so many things to think about.”
</p><p>“Of course there are many variables to reconsider, but that is not what I’m asking,” Ayda said standing up with her wings outstretched to make a point.  “Let’s say best case scenario, all of your friends are okay with it, Adaine is happy to accept being welcomed into our relationship, would you want to date her?”
</p><p>That kind of knocked Fig for a loop and made her go down a rabbit hole she had been avoiding. What would it be like to date Adaine Abernant, the Elven Oracle and her best friend.  Yeah Adaine was pretty and Fig had unwillingly thought about kissing her, holding her hand, sleeping in the same bed with Ayda wrapped around both of them as they slept content.
</p><p>“I don’t know,” Fig said rubbing the back of her neck, “I mean could you imagine me and Adaine kissing, I don’t think it would work out.”
</p><p>When she said that Ayda thought about it.  She imagined just Fig and Adaine standing together just talking together like friends, it wasn’t that hard since they talked often.  They argued often too, but it was never heated, at least not in anger, just two people who cared about and respected each other on different sides, part of Ayda thought they enjoyed it.  But in Ayda’s head they were talking amicably, though she couldn’t decide on what.  
</p><p>Then while mental Adaine was talking, Ayda’s mental representation of Fig suddenly moves her hand to Adaine’s face to brush a lock of flaxen hair away from the Elven Oracle’s face.  It was a soft, intimate, if unneeded gesture in Ayda’s opinion but it didn’t stop her heart from pounding in her chest as she imagined the scene.  Then Fig closed into Adaine’s lips for a kiss, it was soft and chaste, nothing like the fiery kisses she often shared with Fig, but it felt strange to watch as her cheeks grew hotter.  Some part of Ayda knew she should be upset even just thinking of someone else kissing her girlfriend, but for some reason, she wasn’t upset with the idea of Fig and Adaine kissing.  Yes she wanted to go over there, but not to pick a fight with Adaine, but to get some kisses too.  Could she do that?  If an imaginary Ayda walked over to imaginary Fig and Adaine, could she kiss them both?
</p><p>“Babe,” Fig’s voice shook her from her thoughts, “Ayda snap out of it,” she sounded distressed, making Ayda alerted to the waking world instead of her own space.
</p><p>“What’s wrong,” Ayda asked quickly as she scanned the room, “are we in danger, are we under attack?” It would be foolish for anyone to attack them here, in their center of power where a dozen or so other powerful warriors and creatures lived and could hear sounds of battle, but after the Nightmare King’s forest Ayda thought it was to be paranoid and sure than carefree and taken against your will.  
</p><p>“Calm down,” Fig said and Ayda instantly complied, “you just were in your head for a bit, which I normally don’t mind, but I might be fireproof, but my sheets and ceiling aren’t.”  With a finger Fig directed Ayda’s gaze to her ceiling which definitely had a bit of fire damage, though her sheets were fine for the most part.  They might not be fireproof, but they got a good deal on fire resistant sheets.  When an archdevil and phoenix shared a bed and engaged in sexual activities they were worth every bit of gold they spent.
</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Ayda said ashamed, but not an overwhelming amount of shame that would leave her emotionally crippled like she had once feared when the idea of spending time with a peer would bring.  This was a familiar amount of shame, that could be classified as embarrassment.  “I am normally better at controlling my flames like this,” one had to be when they’re wings, hair, and very eyes were made of fire.  “I only lose control when…,” she didn’t want to say.
</p><p>“When someone is rocking your world or when you’re thinking about sexy stuff,” Fig said slyly in a tone that threatened to make Ayda erupt again.  “So what were you thinking about?”
</p><p>“You asked if I could imagine you and Adaine kissing,” Ayda said swallowing, “and I did.”
</p><p>“Oh,” was all Fig could reply.  That wasn’t what she was thinking, though it probably should have been seeing what they were talking about, but she was too busy trying to move away from the topic.  “What were we…, doing?” 
</p><p>“I imagined the two of you kissing,” Ayda said not looking Fig in the eye, it shouldn’t feel dirty just thinking of them kissing, but it didn’t stop her from blushing.  
</p><p>“So I guess that it would be something to get you going,” Fig said also turning red.  “It also sounds like maybe I’m not the only one that has a little crush on Adaine either huh.”
</p><p>“I suppose not,” Ayda said as Fig nestled deeper into the crook of her neck.  “So I ask again, how do you wish to proceed with this development?”  
</p><p>“I don’t know,” Fig admitted, truthfully out of character, “I think I’ve had a crush on her for a long time, but I was also getting used to having real friends for once after my life fell apart so who knows.  I just think if we do anything we take it slow.  I don’t even know if Adaine likes girls, or if she likes anyone, so I’m not sure if I should just say, ‘hey Adaine, my girlfriend and I think you’re really cute and we’re really hot so do you want to join us in our relationship.’” Fig said starting to grow manic the more they talked about it.  She was happy that Ayda didn’t hate her, she was even happier that she wasn’t in the same boat as her in the crush on Adaine train.  But this was too much, she thought that for some reason telling Ayda about her crush on Adaine would make things easier, and in some ways they were, but now it was real it was scary.
</p><p>Ayda just embraced her and while the panic was still there, it was retreating in her arms, “Adaine is cute,” she said as a statement as if it was a fact, which to be fair it was.
</p><p>“Adaine is cute,” Fig repeated after her.
</p><p>“And we are hot,” Ayda said, giving her a smile.
</p><p>“And we’re smokin hot,” Fig said, meeting her with a cheeky grin.
</p><p>“We don’t need to ask Adaine to join us in kissing or a relationship, we can take things slow and maybe just see how we feel being around her,” Ayda said trying to be logical, she knew that matters of the heart were rarely logical but she could only use the tools she had to her disposal.  “I am glad you felt comfortable enough to talk to me about this Fig,” Ayda told her as gently as she could with her trademark intensity.  
  </p><p>  “You’re brilliant babe,” Fig said, “you deserve to know what I’m feeling, especially if it’s about other people.  Slow works for me,” it never had before, not with Dr. Asha who she kissed within minutes of meeting him, not with Dt. x who was the same, granted she was tricking them, even Ayda she had known a few days before going to Smooch Central as Adaine called it.  Adaine was her friend, her best friend, someone who actually knew her since she awoke as her true self.  There’s no one that Fig could pretend to be with Adaine, she wasn’t the cool tiefling stranger from out of town for Adaine, she was just Fig.  Ayda had accepted her for who she was, but no one else she had kissed would have, hopefully seeing as they were grown middle age men, but she wasn’t sure if Adaine would want her as anything other than friends.
 </p><p>   ‘I’ll always be Adaine’s friend,’ Fig told herself, ‘no matter what that won’t change.’  It was a small truth, but for now it was enough to keep her mind at ease.  She wouldn’t lose Adaine over this, she wouldn’t lose Ayda over this, a no would hurt, but she knew these girls like they were part of her soul.  She knew that they would never break her like she feared.  It wasn’t much but it was a truth she knew and could hold on to while Ayda held her for the night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed reading, I didn't really know how to end the story so I just decided to end it.  If you liked it please leave a comment, they really help the writing process.  Next chapter is going to be Adaine's chapter,</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sorry that this took so long I started before the season ended but only worked on it on and off.  Adaine is my favorite character so I wrote quite a bit about her that only got longer and longer as I went on because I couldn't stop myself.  It really got tough adding Alewyn on because I really did like her redemption and she was a fun anti-villain to right with her own twisted morals while still caring about her sister.  The rest I don't really have an excuse, I have a dozen writing projects that are half done at most so I just figured I would work this one until it was done.  Hopefully the next chapter wont' take as long, but I can't promise anything.  If there are any discrepancies I did do the first couple thousand words one week, stop for a month before trying again and that happened a few times so it wasn't written in a single sitting or period so be aware.  And I guess just tell me what you think,</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    “I’m a horrible person,” Adaine Abernant, the Elven Oracle, said to Jawbone, her counselor, legal guardian, and parental figure, “I’m the worst person in the world.”  
</p><p>    “You’re not a horrible person Adaine,” Jawbone told her patiently, “you aren’t even the worst person in the town,” he said taking a sip of his coffee.  They weren’t in an official session, he couldn’t legally be both her legal guardian and her therapist since it would be a conflict of interest, but they could still talk and care about each other in Jawbone’s study.  It was a small room with bookshelves, full of rock posters, a soft couch, and 
</p><p>    “I have two dear friends who are in love with each other, very much in love with each other,” Adaine stressed.  She stressed because she was stressed and sometimes you can only work with what you got.  “They love each other, have been girlfriends for over a year, literally have been through hell and back for each other…, and I had to be an idiot and fall for both of them.”  
  </p><p>  How could she not, Ayda and Fig were both so beautiful, so amazing, so powerful, and so sweet in their own ways.  Either one of them would be enough for seven people to love, probably why they found each other so compelling.
 </p><p>   “You’re not an idiot Adaine,” Jawbone said again, this wasn’t the first time they had talked about this, he was sympathetic but they had also been talking about this for months since Adaine realized her crushes and felt comfortable enough to talk to him about it.  There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for one of his girls, but he also knew for this she just needed someone to argue against her until she reached an end state that she could live with.  
 </p><p>   “I’m awful, greedy, selfish,” Adaine said with a hiss which was new, but Jawbone saw it as potentially progress.
  </p><p>  “Well why do you feel like that,” Jawbone asked trying to get some answers, “I mean you have a crush on Ayda and Fig, not exactly what I expected.  I mean most of the kids there’s a few curveballs, but I didn’t really get how to read you, I’m not sure if I do even now.  But I know you’re a good kid, great even so maybe you could explain a bit to make me understand.”
  </p><p>  “I have crushes on two of my friends, who are dating each other, who are in love with each other, how could that not be awful,” Adaine asked rhetorically.  “It’s selfish.”
  </p><p>  “Well I mean I can’t exactly say that I haven’t done the same thing,” Jawbone told her, “do you think I’m awful or selfish?”  Jawbone knew the answer already, Adaine held herself to such a high standard, because of how shitty her parents were if Jawbone had to guess, but would never hold anyone else to those standards.  
</p><p>    “What no,” Adaine said shocked, she knew that Jawbone was open in all his relationships, he was willing to be monogamous if his partner asked him to be, but since that turned out of be a disaster of an experiment with Sandralynn he was back to having an open relationship with the elven ranger.  Jawbone was different, Adaine couldn't exactly point out how it was different but it was.
  </p><p>  “I mean I’ve slept with a lot of people, some were in relationships, I want to say that I never helped someone cheat with their partner…, but life isn't always cut and dry,” he told her kindly.  “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, I’m alive and surrounded by the people I love now, so it’s okay to make them stories, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have regrets.  Hell when we first met I was a drug dealer who took his 16 year old niece to nightclubs with him so he’d have backup for his big scores.  Not exactly a good role model.”
   </p><p> “It’s still different,” Adaine said to be obstinate.  If she was being logical, she would be able to tell herself that she wasn’t an awful person for having crushes on Fig and Ayda, especially since she wasn’t planning on ever acting on it.  But she couldn’t help be angry at herself, it was so easy, it was the Abernant way to blame Adaine for the things that went wrong in their lives.
  </p><p>  “Yeah,” Jawbone agreed, “I’m an adult, one who has made more mistakes than days you’ve been alive Adaine.  I’m not saying that to diminish or look down on your problems, what you’re feeling is very real,” he assured her, “it’s understandable for you to feel this way and pain isn’t about who hurts more or whose been through worse, I just want you to remember that you are loved and accepted in this house.  I love you like you’re my own kiddo and nothing is going to change that, I think you feel the same about me,” Adaine nodded not being able to talk.  “What is  the difference between you and me, why am I with all my many flaws held to such high esteem, and you, young as you are, so brilliant and kind, seen as unforgivable and awful?”
  </p><p>  Adaine didn’t know, or rather part of her did know but it was too hard to say that there wasn’t a difference, that she was just being harder on herself than she was on Jawbone or any of her friends and family.  “Even if I did go forward what would I have to offer them?  I’ve never been in a relationship with one person let alone two, I’m high maintenance and tough to deal with, and I’m not sure if I ever want to have sex.  What could I possibly bring to a relationship like Fig and Ayda that’s worth stressing their already solid foundation?”
    </p><p>“Well for one,” Jawbone said counting out on his fingers, “you not being in a relationship before isn’t a bad thing.  Ayda and Fig haven’t dated anyone other than each other, as an adult I can’t call what Fig had with multiple middle aged men relationships, I mean I’ve been there, but I was older than her, not by much but older still.  As for Ayda, I don’t really know her that well compared to the rest of you, she’s very against adults that work for her father and she also just moved in when you guys finished your sophmore year project.  That being said, I do know that caring for someone isn’t a bad thing, friendly or romantic, and it’s important to explore that,” Jawbone said as kindly as possible.
</p><p>“That’s dumb,” a voice rang out, it was dull like it was far away from behind one of the bookcases.  Still, the voice was definitely female and one they both knew very well since Aelwyn had moved into Mordred Manor to be with her sister since they returned from the Nightmare King’s/Kassandra’s Forest.  “My sister will not-,” Aelwyn started to say but was cut off with a loud hollow smacking sound and her screaming, “motherfucker!”
</p><p>“Aelwyn,” Adaine asked with a sigh, “are you okay?”
</p><p>“I’m fine,” Aelwyn shouted back though Adaine could all but see her teeth grinding as she snarled, “this stupid fucking trap door is stuck.  What is the point of a secret passage if the stupid trap doors don’t open!”
</p><p>“It opens fine,” Adaine said far too used to her sister being like this.  She pretends it’s a bother, but is too happy to just have a sister who she could love and loves her too to really be annoyed.  “You just need to turn the latch counterclockwise.”
</p><p>“I’m turning the stupid latch clockwise,” Aelwyn shouted back obviously frustrated and started banging on the stone wall.
</p><p>“No counterclockwise,” Adaine said again louder, but it was no use, her voice was pretty soft even when she was shouting, there was no way her sister could hear her over the loud banging.
</p><p>“It’s stuck,” Aelwyn said again, her frustration reaching her breaking point, “wait a moment,” she all but snarled.  Two minutes or so later Aelwyn pushed the painting on the opposite side of the office.  Another minute passed while they waited for Aelwyn to catch her breath.  She immediately acted like she snuck into the room unseen.  “No sister of mine is going to be waiting on the sidelines when the loves of her lives are missing out.”
</p><p>“This is supposed to be a private discussion between Jawbone and me. Also, I wouldn’t say they’re the loves of my life,” Adaine said, her cheeks red, her dork of a big sister should not be able to embarrass her like this.  Aelwyn had always teased her, now when she’s being sincere it’s actually affecting her. 
</p><p>“That’s not the point, and I will point out, that as your legal guardian Jawbone cannot also be your shrink so I am doing nothing illegal, just extremely rude.” Aelwyn said, “the point is, you are enamoured by both of them and they would be lucky to have you.  If they don’t see how wonderful my little sister is that is their problem.” Adaine knew her sister, she would say something to ruin this in a moment, but for now she couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride and joy at Aelwyn’s praises.  “Now, I’m sure that you will be happy together, but we need you to get together with them first.  I have a plan that I will implement right now,” Aelwyn said as she started to dash out of the room, “you’ll be in the marshmallow in a fire smore sandwich in under a month, you have my word.”
</p><p>“No!” Adaine shouted as she scrambled out of her chair to stop her sister.
</p><p>“Whoa whoa whoa there Aelwyn,” Jawbone interrupted her taking her leave, “first tell us your plan before you go rushing off.”
</p><p>“I was going to sow seeds of discontent between Fig and Ayda of course. I will weaken the foundation of their relationship, make them unsure of themselves and each other,” Aelwyn said as if it was obvious.  “They start to wonder if they’re in the right relationship, maybe if being a couple is a bad idea and since they both have a crush on Adaine in addition to being fond of each other it will be even easier.  They break up and then Adaine can swoop in and date whichever one she wants, I would guess Fig since you’ve liked her longer, but then again you have more in common with Ayda so I think either one would be good for you.  You then remind your current partner of all the good times they had with their former partner, which would work since you’re best friends with both of your crushes, and eventually the three of you get together.  This way you’ll be so entrenched in their relationship that even if they get second thoughts about there being a third partner, they will see you as a necessary part and the memory of the original breakup will make them dating you even if they get to thinking.  Simple right,” Aelwyn said as if her plot, it was so clearly villainous despite her best intentions to be considered a plan anymore. 
</p><p>“No,” Adaine said low with her eyes wide.
</p><p>“Now, Aelwyn,” Jawbone said trying to reel her back in, “I’m glad you put so much thought into this, and I’m sure Adaine appreciates it,” he couldn’t even look at Adaine when he said that.  “But I’m gonna have to rate that plot a 7, maybe even an 8 on the evil scale,” when she first moved into Mordred Manor with her sister and her friends, Aelwyn’s mind was still so fragile from the torture the Court of Stars put her through and growing up as Angwyn and Aryanwyn’s golden child had forced her to grow up with warped sense of right and wrong.  Jawbone had worked with her and they came to the conclusion that a numbered scale from 1-to-10, 10 being the worst, to rate the evilness of her actions was the most efficient for helping her understand what was considered right and wrong in normal, if still Elmville, society.  
</p><p>“A seven,” Aelwyn asked incredulously, “how is breaking up my sister’s friends who happen to be dating so they can all be together in a bit evil, it’s practically charity work at this point?”
</p><p>A moment passed before Adaine decided to question her sister, “are you asking rhetorically because you disagree, or are you asking because you really don’t know?”
</p><p>“A bit of both, if I’m being honest,” Aelwyn said, some of her haughtiness draining out of her when the truth came to light.  It was almost painful for Aelwyn to be honest, she was working on it, but she spent so long wearing the mask of Aelwyn Abernant that lying was a second language that became her first.  
</p><p>“I’ll explain it to you later,” Jawbone told her kindly.  If it was almost anyone else in the world Aelwyn wouldn’t have believed him, but Jawbone was, similar, if lesser, to Adaine, which made him a special case.  “For now, just pretend if someone did the same to you and Sam, how would you feel?” He asked, Aelwyn was not a bad person, but due to the Abernants fantastic parenting, she had trouble passively being empathetic, it was easier for her to understand situations relating to her or Adaine.
</p><p>Sam Nightingale, one of the Seven Maidens and the bane of Aelwyn’s existence.  The moment Aelwyn saw her beautiful blue water Genasi face Aelwyn knew she was trouble.  Aelwyn had decided to keep tabs on her the moment she saw her as a potential threat, too popular, too pretty, too much sway over others with her dedicated friends/adventuring party who unconditionally loved her, such a creature could wind up a deadly threat to her and her sister.  To cut such a danger off at the source Aelwyn started dating her, and only for that reason, there were no butterflies in her stomach whenever Sam laughed despite what unfounded rumors could have spread.  Apparently, the reformed Aelwyn was just enough of a bad girl and a bitch to be the perfect mix of Penelope, Sam’s ex-bestfriend and sapphic awakening, and Johnny spells the piece of shit no fap or fuck warlock badboy that was enough for a young girl in a confusing time of her life.   Which left her easy prey for someone like Aelwyn who was all too happy using Sam to her own means, like getting affection from someone other than her sister and her strange NonAbernant family.  She would kill anyone who tried to take Sam from her, other than Sam herself, it would hurt but if she wanted to leave her Aelwyn couldn’t blame her and would let…, she wouldn’t be worth destroying for leaving Aelwyn because Aelwyn knew she could do better, not that she knew anyone better than Sam, she was just so beautiful and sweet.
</p><p>“I would murder them,” Aelwyn said snapping out of her thoughts, “if someone tried to take Sam away from me I would murder them.  If they manipulated us I would tear them apart without magic,” she snarled.  Thinking about it for a moment, she let out a soft, ‘oh,’ of understanding.  “So I won’t do that,” she conceded. 
</p><p>“See now that you’re thinking a bit instead of rushing off half-cocked you know what is right and wrong,” Jawbone told her, giving her  a toothy grin.  “You’re hearts in the right place, but you just need to think before you act, but hey, at least you’re using your heart.”
</p><p>“I suppose I could back down until I form a more feasible plan to get my foolish little sister together with the fiery objects of her affection,” Aelwyn said softly thinking of Sam and Adaine, what would have happened if she just went about with what she thought would help.
</p><p>“I’m still in the room,” Adaine said trying to sound annoyed, but it was hard when her sister was making a genuine effort.
</p><p>“For now,” Aelwyn said ignoring Adaine, “here,” and she pulled out a gun, to the shock of the other two, two stacks of cash worth at least 10,000 gold, which was also strange but less so than the gun, and a passport, which again, strange but less so than the gun.  “Take these just in case something goes wrong with your confession and you’re so embarrassed that you need to leave the country for a while.  I also have a bunch of burner phones that I can set you up with, but they’re in our room, my burners are for me.”
</p><p>Adaine was going to ask why she had any of these since she wasn’t evil anymore, but decided against it.  Leaving the country was a lot simpler than leaving the plane when things went wrong with Fig and Ayda, and she did always admire Riz when he had his gun.  She took a look at the passport that already had her picture on it, which was impressive.  Qnce again deciding it was probably better to not ask questions, “Primera Quin’thalesa’misrey’trondeer,” she mumbled reading the name out aloud, “that’s not even elvish.”
</p><p>“That’s the beauty of non-elvish countries my dear sweet naive sister.  Obviously it won’t work if you plan to go to Falinel or something,” Aelwyn explained, “but I don’t think you’d go there anyway.  Any non-elvish land that actually bothers to check if it’s a real elvish name if it has that many apostrophes.”
</p><p>“That’s brilliant,” Adaine had to admit, her sister was definitely a better person now that she wasn’t letting herself be led astray by slimy coldblooded monsters, or Kalvaxus.
</p><p>“I mean yeah, that’s impressive,” Jawbone said coming over.  “I mean I have a map where to show you the checkpoints where you don’t even need a passport to get into certain countries -, wait no,” he said taking a breath.  “I don’t think this is something I should be encouraging,” he said, remembering he was not only a figure of guidance, but also a parental figure to these young women.  “I’m not saying that it’s not bad to have a backup and it’s definitely a step in the right direction from mentally manipulating your crushes and friends,” he said to Aelwyn to let her know that he appreciated the work she was putting it, just that he wanted her to focus that into a more healthy direction.  “But let's save running away to another country as a last resort.  Plus,” he said holding up his hands while turning to Adaine, “I’m just going to put it out there, that while it’s not a bad plan in a normal case, if you did run away to another country out of embarrassment, Fig and Ayda, and probably the rest of the bad kids would track you down and bring you home within a day.”
</p><p>“I suppose they would,” Aelwyn and Adaine admitted, Adaine was being filled with the warmth of knowing that her friends care enough about her to stop her from running away, while Aelwyn was thinking about what spells she would need to prepare to make someone invisible to the world so they could run away properly.
</p><p>“Right,” Jawbone said leading the conversation to more healthy paths, “and why would they track you down?”
</p><p>“Because they love…, m-me,” Adaine said, struggling to get the words out.  In therapy she was taught that a good strategy to use was to vocalize the things that you know instead of just assuming that you know.  She knew with every fiber of her being that the Bad Kids loved her, but it was important to say it outloud so she didn’t let  or be taken for granted or let it be twisted by the inner demon of her mind.  Even if Fig and Ayda didn’t care about her the same way that Adaine cared for them, it didn’t mean that they didn’t love her all the same.  
</p><p>“Yeah kiddo,” Jawbone said with a big warm wolfy smile, “you’re easy to love.  I’ll keep telling you that a million times if that’s what it takes for you to understand it.”  He then wrapped her in a big warm werewolf hug and gestured for Aelwyn to join in if she wanted too.  The older Abernant rolled her eyes but joined in as she did, she wouldn’t admit it, but it felt amazing to be part of a real family.
</p><p>“I think I’m going to try and talk to Ayda, or Fig, or Ayda and Fig,” Adaine said after breaking the hug, “I’m not ready to admit my feelings for either of them, but I still love them and I love spending time with both of them.”
</p><p>“Go for it kiddo,” Jawbone said encouragingly.
</p><p>“The bugout bag will be ready in case you need it, or have a really good first date and need to flee the country for that,” Aelwyn called out as Adaine ran out the door.   
</p><p>It didn’t take long for Adaine to run into Fig, literally as they collided in the stairway between the floors.  Luckily the strength Adaine gained from the Forest of the Nightmare King allowed her to catch the both of them before they could hit the ground.  It did lead to them being in a bit of an awkward dip position when she did but they recovered fine and it could easily be ignored.  
</p><p>“H-hey Adaine,” Fig managed to get out once they separated, “in a hurry?”  Sweet Dancers of the Stars, she was beautiful, from the points of her freshly polished horns to the soles of her black combat boots, Adaine knew whatever battle she would have had to fight to keep her own heart was lost long ago.
</p><p>“N-no,” Adaine said trying to keep the red out of her face and the nerves out of her voice, “I just got done with a session with Jawbone and my sister, I just felt like I needed to stretch my legs.”
</p><p>“Great,” Fig said nodding along, “hey I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”
</p><p>“Of course, anything,” Adaine said, hoping she didn’t sound too eager.  There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for Fig, there was little that she wouldn’t do for any of her friends, but Fig, and now Ayda, was always a special case.
</p><p>“Well I have this gig at a house party tonight, well me and the Cig Figs,” Fig clarified for some reason.  “I know it’s a bit of a step down from playing sold out stadiums and performing concerts on TV, but hey you know me I don’t want to get too far from our roots.”
</p><p>“Of course,” Adaine said trying to let Fig finish.  She didn’t want to point out how crazy it was for the biggest rock star in the Solace playing a house party, but she didn’t want to interrupt Fig who seemed nervous for some reason. 
</p><p>“Well I mean, I’m not sure if you heard, but Ayda is heading back to Leviathan for a couple days.  You know, keeping the pirates on their toes and spending time with Garthy, and just spending time on her dirty pirate island,” Fig said smoothly.  
</p><p>“Oh that’s too bad,” Adaine said sincerely.  She might not be ready to talk about a possible romantic relationship with either of them, but she loved them both deeply, deeper than she knew.
</p><p>“I mean I like to give her space,” Fig told her, “I love being around her, it’s wonderful,” she said wistfully, Adaine couldn’t help but feel a stab of jealousy, though she buried it the moment it arose.  She was happy for the two of them no matter what.  Why would the two of them, as amazing as they were, love someone like her?  “I thought that it maybe the OG Bad Kids might want to go to the party Gorgug and I are playing at?  I know it’s not really you’re scene but I was hoping you’d come.  No pressure though,” Fig said adorably.
</p><p>“I’d be delighted,” Adaine lied, she was fine with doing what Fig asked of her, but a high school house party wasn’t exactly her idea of a good time.  Still, even if she wasn’t exactly happy on the venue, it would be nice to hang out with the Bad Kids when they weren’t risking their lives on some dangerous adventure or mystery, though Riz might disagree.  
</p><p>“Alright great,” Fig said giving Adaine a pair of finger guns to the face.  Adaine didn’t know why she found this nerd, and this was Adaine thinking this, so adorable and endearing, but it was her sin for her devil.  
</p><p>‘No,’ Adaine told herself, that’s not how she was going to do things. “Any word on the dresscode for this sort of thing,” she didn’t have a lot of clothes, though she didn’t just have uniforms anymore thankfully.  She didn’t know what young people these days wore to parties, every house party that Adaine had been too had ended up in a fight to the death against the forces of evil, which usually meant causal, but casual was not something an Abernant was supposed to lower herself too.
</p><p>“Oh you know, probably something light, something breathy, it gets really hot in a house with everyone dancing and drinking even without an elemental.  So yeah, just wear whatever, you look great in everything,” Fig said, and Adaine couldn't help but blush.  
</p><p>‘Stop reading into it Adaine,’ Adaine said pinching herself, ‘it’s just a dumb Fig compliment, she does it all the time it doesn’t mean anything.’ “I mean I guess it doesn’t matter much, since I always wear my jacket but I think I have a skirt that will work for a house party.”
</p><p>“Y-yeah that could work,” Fig said nodding along, “I actually have to go, it’s only me and Gorgug tonight so we have to head over early to get set up.  I mean you can come along if you want Muscles,” she said, clasping onto Adaine’s deceptively large bicep and giving it a squeeze for some reason.  A moment later she brought her hand back as if burned realizing what she just said.  Neither of them seemed to know where that came from so they just decided to ignore it.  “Never mind I’ll just see you tonight,” she said dashing away.  
</p><p>“She’s your best friend Adaine,” the young Elven Oracle told herself, “and so is Ayda, get used to being around them or you could lose them.”  A party wasn’t exactly her ideal scenario, but she would do it, she said she would and she would wear the skirt that made her look pretty, for herself, not for anyone else.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I just want to be clear, my personal head canon for Adaine is that she is asexual and wlw when it comes to romance.  So she is going to be asexual here and still in love with Ayda and Fig.  I dont' personally think she is repulsed by sex so she won't be here.  if that offends you I'm sorry, I can only headcanon a character how I feel, though for those worried there will not be any sex in this story except implied.<br/>If you have any questions, ask them in the comments, I'm happy to answer them I like interacting with people in a written format, it's actually a pretty easy way to interact with people.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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